


The Grand Adventures at Grant High | A Tyrus Story

by JKRawlings



Category: Andi Mack - Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, Freshman Year, High School, M/M, Muffy - Freeform, Panic Attacks, TJ is from cali, Tyrus - Freeform, first fic I’ve posted on here, idk what else to put here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-16 13:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21508369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKRawlings/pseuds/JKRawlings
Summary: Cyrus Goodman is a freshman at Grant High School. TJ Kippen is the new kid from San Francisco, who is very, very, very lonely. Pushing people away is a defense mechanism- or so he claims. Cyrus Goodman knows that there's more to this attractive boy, and he's willing to get to the bottom of it.ORTwo unlikely souls try to ride out their freshman year, getting out as unscathed as possible. Maybe they will both realize that sometimes working together can make it all easier.
Relationships: Andi Mack & Jonah Beck (past relationship) (mentioned), Buffy Driscoll & Marty, Cyrus Goodman & Iris (past relationship) (mentioned), Cyrus Goodman & T. J. Kippen, Jonah Beck & Amber (past relationship) (mentioned)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	1. Hit the Ground Running

Now this is a story all about how  
my life got flipped, turned upside down.  
And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there,  
I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called... okay, okay, yeah I know that was so cringey.

Well, let me start this off correctly. My name is Cyrus Goodman, I am 15 years old and I live in the small town of Shadyside, Utah. Now you're probably wondering what this is... truth be told, I don't know either.

This was originally going to be a project for my English class, about how my first year of high school played out, but most of this is just way too personal. Instead, this is just a summary of the most hectic year in all my years of existence. 

So yeah... here we are. My recap of my first year of high school. It's a lot so strap in.

—

August 19th, 2019  
Monday  
6:45 A.M.

I had just hopped out of the shower, and I was now positioned in front of my closet, towel wrapped tightly around my waist. So today is the first day of high school, what can I wear to make a good impression? That blue button down Sharon got me a week prior was just screaming for me to wear it. But what to wear for pants? Can't go wrong with khakis, right?

After selecting my outfit, I ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth and comb out my still drying hair. Before I shut off the light, I took one last glance at the mirror. I looked... presentable. I shrugged, too late now to do anything about it. 

I ran down stairs, grabbing a granola bar and a banana from the kitchen. I then hugged my dad goodbye before grabbing my bag and meeting my stepmom out in the drive way. 

—

7:15 A.M.

I stepped out of Sharon's SUV, giving her one last wave as I headed for the courtyard. Buffy, Jonah, Marty, and I all agreed to meet up a half an hour early. To my surprise, I wasn't the first one to arrive. Buffy was leaned up against the wall of the school, typing away furiously on her phone.

"Buffy!" I cheered, grabbing her attention instantly.

"Cyrus!" She yelled in response, then returning her attention back to her phone.

"What's wrong? Marty wake up late?" I asked, trying to find the reason for that distressed look on her face.

"What? No! Andi's currently having a scheduling crisis at SAVA." Buffy explained, as if I wasn't supposed to find this news to be so shocking. "You would know if you opened the group chat." she sneered.

"Oh sorry!" I apologized, pulling out my phone. "I silenced all my notifications last night so I could get a good night's rest before the big day." 

"Big day?" Buffy's eyes were now on me again.

"You know? Our first day of high school?" I elaborated, smiling as innocently as possible. Buffy paused for a moment, studying my expression with those fierce eyes. 

"You're such a dork." she finally responded, rolling her eyes. She may have called me a dork, but I could definitely see the small trace of a smile cross her lips. 

After another five or so minutes of silently standing together, texting in the 'Good Hair Crew' group chat, Marty and Jonah arrived simultaneously. Over the summer, the two boys seemed to have grown extremely close. Now they were pretty much inseparable. Well... unless Marty was on a date with Buffy. 

"Haayyy boo!!" Marty exclaimed, walking up to Buffy with open arms. He was then met with a hand to the chest. Buffy was holding him off with her left hand while she proceeded to type with her right one. "Aww, someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Marty cooed sarcastically.

"Andi is trying to figure out why her schedule at SAVA is all screwed up. So... yes?" Buffy rolled her eyes for the second time that morning.

"Oh." Jonah and Marty replied simultaneously, their mouths forming an 'O' shape. 

"Well, what's up Cyrus! How was your summer?" Jonah asked, pulling me away slightly from Marty and Buffy. We both knew that when Buffy was in a 'mood,' Marty was the only one who could bring her out of it. So it was best for us to just move away and let him get to work.

"Jonah, I saw you Saturday." I deadpanned. Both of us then proceeded to burst out into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. This earned us some questionable looks from everyone else who was entering the building. 

"Anyways, what class do you have first?" Jonah asked, trying his best to compose himself and put our conversation back on track. I then pulled my schedule out of my back pocket, and Jonah did the same.

"Hmm. It says I have Biology first." I replied, reading over my schedule.

"Same here!" Jonah exclaimed. "Mrs. Urbanski-"

"Urbanskowitz." I corrected him. 

"Wha- how do you know how to pronounce that... mess?" Jonah looked at me with wide eyes, motioning to her name on his schedule.

"My stepmom goes to a knitting class with her." I explained.

"Ah okay." Jonah nodded understandingly. "Wait, Sharon knits?"

"Yeah, and better than you ever will." I sneered playfully.

"Well I never claimed to be able to knit so... you're right?" Jonah said with furrowed brows. I crossed my arms, shooting him a fake glare. "It's just that- Sharon never striked me as the knitting type, you know?"

"And what exactly is the knitting type, Jonah?"

"I- uh... I don't know." Jonah shrugged nervously. This caused me to let out a giggle, which also caused Jonah to drop his shoulders in relief.

"Calm down JB, I'm just giving you a hard time." I chuckled.

—

11:30 A.M. 

Okay, so it turned out that all of my morning classes I have with Jonah. That in itself was an utter relief. Usually I'd have no one I know in my classes, and with Andi going to a completely different school, my odds were significantly decreased.

Now it was lunch, and after a slight struggle in the lunchroom shuffle, our group had finally secured a table to sit at. On the one side it was Jonah, then me, and finally Buffy. On the other side it was Amber, then Iris, then Marty.

Ahh, Iris. 

Iris and I went out in middle school - if you even want to call it that. I mean we only went on like two or three dates, and shared two very, very awkward kisses. So... sitting with her at lunch was extremely uncomfortable at first. We hadn't talked at all since 7th grade at the Renaissance Fair, which meant that there definitely was some tension between us. But after five minutes of being in each other's presence again, all the aforementioned tension dissipated immediately. We had just begun to go off on our own conversation about our various over-the-summer experiences, but we were soon interrupted by Buffy.

"Walker goes to SAVA!" she exclaimed. Everyone else at the table wore the same confused expression on their faces, while my eyes were widened in shock.

"Caricature boy?" I asked in disbelief. Well... not disbelief, I mean the kid's an artist so...

"Yeah, him." Buffy replied, her attention still on her phone.

"Who's Walker?" Marty asked with a mouthful of pizza crust.

"It's- it's complicated." Buffy hesitated. You see, before Buffy and Marty began dating, Buffy may or may not have used to talk to Walker. Honestly, I haven't heard Buffy say his name since the beginning of 8th grade.

"Not complicated enough for you to just blurt out his presence at SAVA." Amber muttered sarcastically as she poked some more at her salad. Buffy didn't respond to her, seemingly ignoring her comment. Buffy and Amber have had a rocky past, and I was still in the process of having the two of them get along better - but after each day that passed I'd see progress. I mean Buffy allowing Amber and Iris to sit with us at lunch was already an improvement. 

"What is he like Andi's love interest?" Iris chimed in.

"At some point he was." I admitted. Then I saw Jonah drop his sandwich and stand up. He proceeded to storm out of the cafeteria without a word. 

Instinctively, Marty and I both shot up to go after him, but considering Marty's mouth was still full, I motioned for him to sit back down.

"I'll go after him." I said, walking away from the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Don’t forget to comment! Tumblr: @itzjkrawlings
> 
> Kudos are always appreciated.


	2. Not So Fast...

Now you're probably wondering what happened to Jonah, right? Well we'll come back to that. (It's my story, so I can skip around as much as I like, alright?)

Now the reason why I'm temporarily glossing over what happened with Jonah, is because my life changed the moment I pushed through those cafeteria doors.

—

August 19th, 2019  
Monday  
11:45 A.M.

I wasn't necessarily panicking to find Jonah, he ended up being in the bathroom anyways. Like I said, we'll come back to that.

As soon as I left the cafeteria, I locked eyes with the prettiest pair green eyes that I'd ever seen. Like, these pupils were trying to challenge Jonah's current title of 'the deepest shade of green' that someone's eyes could even possess. Okay, enough about his eyes. 

Merely three feet from me was this tall blonde boy with shinning emerald eyes, and a visitor's pass stuck to his chest. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a pair of black and white skate shoes. His outfit was pretty simple, but to top it all off, he shot me this beautiful tight-lipped smile. A smile that was full of sincerity, yet oh-so mysterious. Never in my life had I seen this boy before; not in school, not around town, literally nowhere. 

And just like that he was gone.

It took me a couple of seconds to recover from the encounter. An encounter that had me subconsciously patting down my pants, and nervously adjusting the hem of my shirt. 

What was I doing again? Oh right, Jonah.

—

11:56 A.M. 

The first place I looked was the boys bathroom, and sure enough Jonah was in there, at the sink splashing water onto his face. The boy's face was red, and he had these big, teary, and puffy eyes - clearly showing that he had been crying.

"Jonah..." I said with a calm and comforting tone. A tone that I'd picked up from any one of my four shrink parents. Jonah didn't respond, instead he stared at me with those sad eyes. I swear I could feel my heart begin to ache. Seeing Jonah this distraught was a rare occurrence, one that I still haven't officially gotten used to. "Is this about what Buffy said?" I asked, the tone of my voice bordering on a whisper.

"No- well yes..." Jonah sighed, his back sliding down the length of the wall. 

"Look Jonah, Andi is in a completely different school than us. If the only person she knows there is Walker, then so be it. It doesn't necessarily guarantee that they're going to date." I explained.

"They've been pretty close in the past." Jonah muttered, folding his legs up into his chest and wrapping his arms around them. He looked like a toddler, not in an insulting way, but in an adorable sense.

"Well, even if they do go out, it doesn't mean that it will last forever." I tried to comfort him, crouching down beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Cyrus, that's- that's not even the entire problem." Jonah's tone shifted, he now sounded extremely nervous.

"Well then... what is it?" I asked, trying my best to look as understanding as possible. Jonah didn't respond, instead keeping his focus on his sneakers. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I finally reasoned, after an uncomfortable silence.

"It's just- I don't know... I was a really shitty boyfriend." Jonah sighed, running his fingers through his hair. That was the first time I've heard him say anything along those lines. Ever.

Last year, Jonah and Amber went out for a second time. Soon enough, Jonah began to, once again, feel overwhelmed by all of his boyfriend duties. It even got to the point where he recruited me to help him avoid her. 

He told her that I was teaching him how to play chess, and honestly, it would've been a great plan, except for its two tragic flaws. One, I didn't know how to play chess, and two, Amber played competitively throughout 6th grade. Ultimately, Amber ended up confronting Jonah, with me awkwardly present, and since then I haven't really pressed the issue. Amber and Jonah eventually made up, but in the back of my mind I was still wondering why Jonah felt overwhelmed by some pretty simple relationship responsibilities. 

Now was my chance to get some answers.

"Hey, Jonah, no you're not. Everyone is allowed to feel overwhelmed at some point in their life." I cooed, rubbing my thumb against his shoulder. 

"That's the thing, Amber, Andi, Libby, they're all great people. But in the end, I still ended up hurting them all in some way. So it must be me, right?" 

"Not necessarily. Answer me this; do you think you're just bad at relationships, or is there more to the story?" I carefully began to study his facial expression.

"I feel like I'm being psychoanalyzed." Jonah scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Listen, this isn't an interrogation. I'm just trying to help you. If you don't feel comfortable answering, then you don't have to." Jonah looked like he was thinking, and thinking really hard. You could practically see the gears turning in his head. "Is there something more?" I pressed again, this time I saw his eyes go wide for a split second. 

"I'm not gay!" Jonah spat defensively, his abrupt change in volume caused me to wince slightly. He obviously saw how shocked I looked, because he ended up backtracking completely. "I'm sorry Cyrus, I- I didn't mean it like that. It's just, I'm pretty sure I like girls, and I can't remember ever feeling an attraction to any guys. That means I can't be gay, right?"

"Well... there are more options than just being gay or straight. Here, before you blame yourself any more than you already have, why don't you do some research?" I said, pulling out my phone and texting Jonah a link. "This helped me a lot, maybe it can help you." 

"Thanks Cy, you're the best." Jonah looked down at his phone to read the notification, and sniffled.

"Now I suggest you get up off the floor of the bathroom, it's kinda' gross."

"Yeah you're probably right." Jonah chuckled, standing up and dusting himself off. He then proceeded to pull me into a deep hug. "I seriously don't know what I'd do without you dude."

"Hey, anytime JB!" I beamed after we broke apart.

—

2:50 P.M.

The rest of the day was pretty bland and boring. Just more syllabuses to get signed and other typical first day responsibilities. Unfortunately I was all alone for my afternoon classes, well except for world history. Luckily, Marty and Jonah were in my class.

I had almost forgotten about the little exchange that occurred at lunch, but on my way out of the school, I saw him again. He was talking to another girl in my grade, what's her name? Lauren, yeah Lauren. Lauren was motioning to the courtyard, presumably showing this new kid around. 

I was about to go over and introduce myself, but before I could do so, Buffy snagged me and pulled me aside.

"Hey, we're all meeting Andi and Walker at the Spoon, you in?" Buffy offered, distracting me from the boy that was only a few feet behind her.

"Yeah I'm down, I'll meet you guys over there in a few." I said, trying my hardest to make my way over to the boy once again. But when Buffy turned around to walk with Jonah and Marty, he was gone. 

"On second thought - I'll just walk with you guys." I yelled, trying to catch up with them.

Okay so it's safe to say, my curiosity had officially been piqued. Who was this mystery boy? And why did I feel this weird attraction to him? I mean sure, he's cute, but I felt this magnetic pull towards his presence. It was beginning to freak me out. Oh well, nothing a few milkshakes and Baby Taters can't fix, right?

Wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Don’t forget to comment! Tumblr: @itzjkrawlings
> 
> Kudos are always appreciated.


	3. Easy Come, Easy Go

Yeah, I was obsessed. Even after our trip to the Spoon - where Andi and Walker proceeded to gush about their new school experience - I still found myself laid out on the floor searching through all of my old yearbooks. That only confirmed my suspicions.

This mysterious boy is not from here. 

And to make matters worse, I didn't even have a name to go off of. So in the end, I prayed that I'd run into him again the next day. But I didn't see him. Then the next day passed, and then the next day, and the day after that. Before I knew it, the first week of school had already concluded, and I still had no leads. 

Each night my head would continue to replay our first encounter, over and over again. Each time I'd try to follow him but he would literally disappear into thin air.

I needed to find him.

—

August 24th, 2019  
Saturday  
11:38 A.M.

So I've officially caved. Instead of keeping my detective work to myself, I decided to ask Jonah for some assistance. 

That's how I found myself waiting patiently for the brunette boy at the Spoon. 

Before I could check the time on my phone, again, for the fifteenth time, I heard the distinct sound of a bell's jingle. In walked Jonah, face flushed red and breathing heavily. He immediately spotted me and plopped himself down at my booth.

"Oh my god! Jonah? Are you okay?" I exclaimed, voice full of worry. Jonah has had a past with some severe panic attacks. I feared that he was experiencing another one.

"Yeah-" Jonah huffed out as he tried to steady his breathing.

"Is this... another... one?" I asked carefully. His panic attacks have always been a touchy subject for him.

"No- Cy- I- I- just- ran- here-" he huffed out again. He then cleared his throat and grabbed my glass of water, taking a large swig. "I was running late, so I just ran here." Jonah finally explained.

"Okay... well, you're only eight minutes late so... new PR?" I joked, earning me a dimple-filled grin from Jonah.

"So what's up?" Jonah asked, shifting his position slightly. Oh. Right.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat. "So I need your help."

"With?" Jonah asked, taking another sip from my glass of water.

"Well you see... that's the thing. Um-" for whatever reason, I became really embarrassed. I mean rightfully so. I was asking my best friend to help me stalk some random kid. "There's this boy-"

"Ooohhh..." Jonah gushed, which was not helping me hide the flushed look on my face.

"And well... I need you to help me find him." I finished, trying my hardest to glare at Jonah for making me go red in the face.

"Find him? And how exactly do you expect me to help you with this?" this time Jonah reached into my basket of Baby Taters and popped one into his mouth.

"Well, this boy-" (I felt like I was referring to some mythical creature) "-is very elusive. So, the more eyes we have on him, the better." I explained, waiting for Jonah to fire back with another question. Except he didn't.

"Okay. I'm in." Hm, that was easy. "Wait. How do I know what he looks like?" I spoke too soon. 

"Well that's where we run into our first problem. Well, actually it's two problems." I sighed. I really should've thought this through some more. "Well for starters, I don't have a name or anything. But more importantly, I only saw him on the first day." I could see Jonah begin to process this new information. 

"So... is he not a student at Grant?" Jonah's brows furrowed. 

"I think he will be. When I saw him, he was holding a clipboard with what looked like the 'Incoming Freshman Questionnaire' that we filled out last year at Jefferson." I pointed out. Jonah went back to thinking.

"So it's only a matter of time until he reappears at school." Jonah stated - more to himself rather than me - and rubbed his chin. 

"Exactly." now he was getting it. I can't believe I used to underestimate his intelligence.

"Well, do you have any visual details you could drop? Only so I know what the dude looks like." 

"Well... he's got this dirty blonde hair that's slicked back with hair gel." I began to recall all of the mystery boy's features.

"Mhm." Jonah hummed, nodding his head and presumably making a mental note. 

"He's tall, maybe around six feet. Um- oh! He's got these magnificently complex green eyes." I added.

"Like these?" Jonah then proceeded to lean in and stare up at the ceiling while he fluttered his eye lashes.

"Yeah, no. Um- he has the brightest smile I've ever seen." 

"Aww, I thought my smile was the brightest." Jonah whined.

"Listen dimples, if you continue to compare yourself to my dream boy, then I will have no choice but to go to Marty for help. And you and I both know how disastrous that would be." Jonah scoffed, then nodded sympathetically. "Now, um- where was I? Oh wait. Yeah that's pretty much all I've got." Excuse my harsh tone, but I was trying my hardest to not be sidetracked by Jonah's comments.

"Okay so... dreamy green eyes, blonde hair, he's tall, and he stole my smile. Got it." Jonah reiterated. He may be intelligent but damn it, he could be so childish sometimes. Marty may have rubbed off a little too much onto him. "That it?"

"Pretty much Jonah." 

"Okay captain, I'll keep my eyes peeled for the suspect." and then Jonah gave me a salute. After that, he stood up and headed for the exit. But before he left the restaurant, he shot me a quick wink. Hmm, odd.

—

August 26th, 2019  
Monday  
7:45 A.M.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat as I waited for everyone else to file into the classroom. The first bell had just rung, and a steady stream of students began to flow in. 

I pride myself on my tardy-less track record, and thinking back on it, I can't recall a time that I was ever late for anything. Most people would simply chalk it up to the way my parents raised me - which was only partially true - but with the freedom that high school offers you, I've made it my personal goal to maintain my perfect attendance. Even if that meant showing up to my first period class 15 minutes early. Okay so what? I'm an overachiever, sue me.

"What's up Cyrus!" Jonah boomed, clapping my shoulder as he took his seat besides me. "Did we have homework?" he whispered to me as he pulled his English binder out of his backpack. 

••  
Okay, now's probably the best time to give all of you the run-down on Jonah. 

Jonah Beck. He's my best friend. He was my first- yeah no we're not going there. Jonah was like the typical happy-go-lucky kid, who had been injected with rays of literal sunshine. The best part is that I'm not even exaggerating. Everyone liked this kid, probably because of how approachable he is. Little did anyone know the real truth. I've touched upon his vulnerability earlier on in the story, but there's more. The Beck family had struggled financially, through failed investments and such. So, like every other person, Jonah had his weaknesses. But even his weaknesses could be looked at in a positive light.

Jonah's approachable nature, stemmed from his weaknesses - if that makes any sense. I don't want to call his happy personality a front, because truthfully it wasn't. But instead, it was his way of trying to keep everyone in his life happy. All in all, he's a good friend, a great listener, and an awesome person to be around.  
••

"JB!" I cheered, "Yeah, no we didn't have any homework, thankfully." I replied, taking out a pen from my bag. As soon as I returned my attention back to the students filing into the classroom, he appeared. The new kid, the one I hadn't seen since last week.

When he entered the classroom, we locked eyes, again, and it was for an uncomfortably long period of time. Once again I could see those deep, sea foam green irises that were speckled with tiny flecks of emerald. They were some stunning eyes. 

"Is that him?" Jonah asked, nudging me with his elbow.

"Yes." I whispered back in a snappy tone. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see him slowly walk past me and towards the back of the room.

"So, you don't know him, right?" Jonah whispered to me again.

"No I don't." I was beginning to panic, trying my hardest to pry my gaze away from the new kid. Truth be told, I knew I was beginning to feel that specific sensation in my stomach, and after eating a complete and balanced breakfast, it could mean only one thing. I may or may not be crushing on the new kid. But Jonah didn't need to know that. 

"You sure about that?" Jonah looked at me with an accusatory expression, "Because he's still staring at you." I involuntarily shot myself around to face him, and sure enough, he was staring at me from his seat in the back of the room. He quickly diverted his gaze as soon as we made eye contact. I could see that his demeanor was completely different than when I saw him on the first day. He looked... angry? Sad? Depressed? Different?

"Well I think he remembers you from somewhere, and I think he may find you extremely attractive... because he's back to staring at you." Jonah obviously was beginning to tease me. Ever since I came out to him last year, he had seemed to have committed himself to this unspoken promise of becoming my wingman. And hearing that the new kid - the one I was literally trying to find all of last week - was back to staring at me, it took every fiber in my body to resist turning around again. 

Finally, the late bell rang, and the last of the students quickly shuffled to their respective desks. Mrs. Harris walked up to the front of the classroom and cleared her throat, "Okay class! Today we have a new student joining us. TJ? Would you like to come up and introduce yourself?" 

TJ, okay, so we have a name. I could see next to me that Jonah was also taking note of this new information.

From the back of the room, I could hear a quiet sigh, followed by TJ - the new kid - sluggishly dragging his feet all the way up to the front of the classroom. Mrs. Harris looked at him expectantly, but with the ongoing silence, she probably decided that it would be best if she got things going, "So TJ? Where are you from?" she asked.

"San Francisco." TJ shrugged. God I wish I could muster up a care-free attitude like that. It would've saved me from a lot of embarrassing moments in my life. 

"Do you have any interests Mr. Kippen?" 

And now we have a last name. This was way too easy. Like taking candy from-

"Basketball." TJ shrugged once again. With him being at the front of the classroom, I could now see his perfectly gelled and styled dirty blonde hair. He was definitely... something. 

Mrs. Harris sighed - knowing that she wouldn't be able to get him to say much else - and sent TJ back to his desk. Then class began as normal, but what was not normal was how little attention I paid. The whole time I could only think about TJ. About how badly I wanted to look him up on InstaPic. About how he was staring at me at the beginning of class. About how he was probably staring at me throughout the entirety of class. But most of all, about how hard it was not to turn around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Don’t forget to comment! Tumblr: @itzjkrawlings
> 
> Kudos are always appreciated.


	4. Mystery Boy

So, what are the odds right? The boy I had been looking for happened to be in my English class, but that's not all. TJ was also in my History class, and in my Business Management class, and also in my Study Hall. 

It was mildly infuriating that I had dedicated the entirety of my first week of high school to searching for him, only for him to just turn up in four of my classes. Anyways, it was now time for phase two of my grand plan: making a good first impression.

Except... I didn't know how exactly I would accomplish this, but I was determined. I even considered rehearsing our first encounter - with Jonah standing in for TJ of course - but I figured I'd already had asked enough of my best friend. So I was pretty much stuck between going in guns blazing, or taking a much safer route. 

Well... that is until mystery boy himself changed that for me.

—

August 26th, 2019  
Monday  
2:45 P.M.

I was at my locker, gathering my various books and folders for that night's load of homework, when I was tapped on the shoulder. I was half expecting it to be Buffy or Jonah, probably telling me to hurry up so we all could go to the Spoon, but I soon realized that I was standing face to face with him.

"Uh- uh hey..." I gulped nervously. I mean it was clearly him who tapped me on the shoulder, the hallway around us was empty.

"Hey. You're Cyrus, right?" he asked. His face was unreadable, somewhere between exhausted and giddy. I know there's a stark difference between those two expressions, but I'm being honest with you when I say that's what he looked like. Exhausted yet excited.

"Uh- yeah... that's me." I offered him a slight smile, probably looking more nervous if anything...

"Goodman?" he asked. I nodded slowly, unsure of where this was going, or how he knew my name. "Well you left this in our History class." he said, pulling out a copy of 'The Catcher in the Rye.' Surely enough, on the inside cover of the book was my name; Cyrus Goodman.

"Oh, thanks!" I said, graciously grabbing the book from him. "Quick question, how did you know... y'know... what I looked like?" I just had to know.

"Uh... well-" TJ's face suddenly became flushed a light shade of pink. "We do kinda' have like four classes together." he said. We both let out a quick chuckle. "But, I talked to your friend, Jonas?" 

"Jonah." I corrected him.

"Right. Yeah, Jonah. He gave me your locker number so..." and now there was an awkward silence, neither of us knew what to say next. "Well, I gotta' go now..." TJ finally said, pointing somewhere over his shoulder. I nodded and watched him begin to walk away. I knew I had to do something, that was a terrible actual first encounter.

"Wait!" I called out, unsure of what to say next. TJ's long strides came to a halt and his head turned around to face me. "You're uh- new here... right?" I sounded so small, it was pretty much laughable.

"Yeah?" 

"You need a friend?" and that - by far - was THE stupidest thing that I have ever said. "I- I- didn't- me- mean it l- like that- t!" I stammered. 

TJ obviously found my sudden ridiculous behavior amusing because I could see the faint traces of that amazing smile appear on his lips. But he was clearly thinking, weighing out his options, because it took him about ten seconds to respond.

"You know what? I'd like that." TJ said, now giving me that tight-lipped smile that had my insides melting. 

"Cool..." I clearly wasn't. My face probably registered at a burning 102 ° F. 

"Okay." TJ said, giving me one last chuckle. 

Stupid, stupid, stupid. was all I could think of.

And then he was gone. 

I'm a complete mess, I mean way to go Cyrus for botching that one up.

—

4:58 P.M. 

"You asked him to be- to be friends?" Jonah asked me incredulously.

"Yes! You don't gotta' keep bringing it up." I sighed. 

"And he said yes." 

"He did." I replied, still in shock over how poorly I handled the situation.

"I'm telling you Cyrus..." Jonah took a Baby Tater and ate it. "He's definitely got the hots for you." 

"Let's be realistic here Jonah. Even the new kid pities my lack of communication skills. I'm a helpless wreck." I said, leaning over the table and nestling my forehead into my arms. 

"C'mon Cy. Why do you think that?" Jonah's tone softened.

"Because its true!" I exclaimed, lifting my head up. I managed to gain the attention of some nearby tables. 

"It's not though. Face it Cyrus, you have this magical presence that makes people wanna stick around you. This really isn't as bad as you think." Jonah reassured me. I could feel some tears begin to form around the corners of my eyes. Listen people, get yourself a Jonah Beck.

"Thanks Jonah." I offered him a small smile. "But that still doesn't excuse the fact that I said something really embarrassing. I mean, if you were in my situation, you'd be embarrassed too, right?"

"Oh definitely." Jonah deadpanned. I couldn't fault him for his honesty. "But! You could always say that you were just trying to be nice, if he asks. I doubt he would though." 

"I just hope he forgets what I said, all of it." I sighed. 

"Okay, okay, you want a change of subject?" Jonah asked, earning my curiosity.

"Yes, please!" I was practically begging to forget everything.

"Well..." Jonah gulped nervously. "I took you're advice, and um- I did some research." Jonah began to fumble around with the pocket of his hoodie, pulling out his phone. I couldn't believe it, Jonah could be- "Here, look at this." Jonah slid his phone across the table to me.

I looked carefully at his screen. At the top of the webpage in big bold letters was, 'Being Aromantic.' My eyes darted between Jonah's phone and his face.

"Oh my god! Jonah thank you for trusting me with this. But, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly does it mean to be 'aromantic?'" I hadn't heard of this term until then, which was further proof that I'd still find myself learning new things each day.

"No worries Cy." Jonah chuckled, his expression had lightened significantly. "I didn't know it even existed until a few days ago, but it pretty much means that I don't feel any sort of romantic attraction to anyone." 

"Ah I see. Well like I said Jonah, I'm so thankful you told me this, and I'm really proud of you too." I really was. Jonah had been my best friend since seventh grade, so seeing him be able to discover more about himself almost brought a tear to my eye.

"Hey dude, if anything I should be thanking you. That link you sent me really helped me out." Jonah said, grabbing my left hand.

"Jonah- come on-"

"No Cyrus. Seriously, thanks." Jonah was now staring right into my soul, and he wore this genuine smile that made me feel all warm inside.

Like I said earlier, get yourself a friend like Jonah Beck.

—

9:07 P.M.

I had just finished up my nightly routine, which consisted of; brushing my teeth, showering, finishing up my homework, and changing into my old honorary Space Otters jersey and a pair of athletic shorts. Now I was nestled into my bed, scrolling through InstaPic. I was debating on whether or not I should search up 'TJ Kippen,' just to humor myself, but then I got a text from an unknown number.

••

Unknown | 9:08 PM: holden caulfield?

••

My heart dropped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holden Caulfield = the main character in 'The Catcher in the Rye'


	5. Teej: If You Only Knew

If you only knew what was going through my head when he texted me. Just... so many questions. But, in typical fashion, I ignored all of my questions and responded instantly. I felt that if he'd taken the initiative to text me, then all my questions would be answered at a later date. 

Date... 

I'd like one of those.

Anyways...

—

August 26th, 2019  
Monday  
9:07 P.M.

••

Cyrus | 9:07 PM: Nicknames... I like it.

Cyrus | 9:07 PM: Ur name is TJ right?

Cyrus | 9:08 PM: So can I call u Tee, or Jay?  
-Read-

••

Uh-oh. I said something wrong, except I didn't. Well... sorta’.

Two seconds later, my phone rang with the unknown number displayed on my screen.

—

"Don't call me that. Either one of those, just don't." I recognized the voice instantly. It was definitely him.

"I think it's unfair that I get a nickname and you don't." I tried, alright?

"Well, if I'm being honest, I've never even read that book. So my nickname for you isn't very... creative."

"Then how'd-"

"SparkNotes." TJ cut me off.

"Ah... I see." I was about to ask him how he got my number, but it seemed like he'd read my mind.

"So like... Jonah gave me your number. In case you were wondering." he was definitely nervous, I could tell by his tone of voice. But why?

"That's cool. I'm kinda' glad he did." I was going to regret saying that.

"Oh really?" I could practically hear the smile appear on his face.

"I- I mean well- like- um- I... yes." I was a complete stuttering mess. Somehow I was blushing without him being in the same room as me, and it sucked. I could hear him chuckle on the other side of the line, furthering my embarrassment.

"You crack me up, we should definitely hangout sometime." I managed to go from being embarrassed to being in absolute shock with only one sentence. 

"I- I- yes! I mean- yes." okay, so I was a little excited too.

"Sounds good then." I could tell that our conversation was coming to a close, so I had to do it.

"Um- so like- what if I called you 'Teej?'" I could only hear silence on the other end of the call, silence that almost made me hang up the phone call and run.

"Can I call you 'Cy?'" he finally asked.

"Uh- um- yes." 

"Well then there's your answer." and once again I swore I could hear that sly smile creep across his face. "Look, I'm pretty tired so I'ma go to bed."

"Okay. Goodnight Teej."

"Night Cy."

-Call Ended-

—

Once he'd hung up, I immediately saved his number in my contacts. 

And then I had some questions that needed to be answered. Answered the next day that is.

••

Cy-Guy | 9:15 PM: Meet me 30 mins before school. Courtyard.

JB | 9:17 PM: ok, everything good?

Cy-Guy | 9:18 PM: Yeah, too good to be true

••

And after that was taken care of, I went to bed with the goofiest grin on my face.

—

August 27th, 2019  
Tuesday  
7:15 A.M.

"Okay Cyrus, what's going on here?" Jonah asked. He was clearly up late the night before. I could tell by the dark circles under his eyes.

"Oh my gosh, Jonah. You look like-"

"I usually wake up at this time, just saying Cyrus." Jonah interrupted me, sounding mildly agitated.

"Okay, well, you gave TJ my number." I pressed.

"Yeah?" Jonah wasn't getting it.

"Why?" I deadpanned.

"I thought you said you liked him? I was just trying to do you a favor." 

"Well." I paused, just so I could savor the concerned look on Jonah's face for a second longer. "I just wanna' say, thanks." I could hear Jonah let out a sigh of relief.

"Good, I was afraid he did something." 

"He did!" I exclaimed.

"What? What did he do to you Cyrus? I swear I'll-"

"Calm down. Calm down. Overly protective isn't a good look for you." I joked. Then I saw Jonah pout at me, causing a giggle to slip out. "He told me that he wanted to hangout at some point!"

"He did? Wow, that was fast." Jonah said incredulously.

“What, are you doubting him?” 

“Calm down. Overly protective isn’t a good look for you.” Jonah replied with a mocking tone. He got me there.

“Touché.” I replied. He earned it, I mean really.

—

9:47 A.M.

I was still riding my high from the night prior. I felt like nothing could stop me. That was until the first time I saw TJ that day. 

The bell had just rung, and I was currently navigating the sea of students, trying my hardest to reach my next class. Down the hall, I could see him walking in the opposite direction, alone. So I did what I thought was best, I greeted him.

“What’s up Teej?” I greeted as we passed each other. Except he didn’t respond. He didn’t even bat an eye, he just held his intimidating glare and kept walking.

I felt crushed. I mean I thought he said that he wanted to hangout. 

And that metaphorical high I was riding on just disappeared.

—

3:00 P.M.

Instead of briefing my friends on my current ‘crisis,’ I pressed down those feelings and went about my day. It wasn’t easy, and honestly I don’t think I was doing a very good job, considering the suspicious glances that Jonah and Buffy were giving me.

But none of that mattered because school was finally over.

And the walk home was especially lonely. 

Too lonely. 

Just like how my sadness and confusion was too much. 

Too much to handle. 

—

4:38 P.M.

“So why’d you text me Cy?” Andi asked, sitting across from me in the booth. I had texted Andi that I needed an impromptu and secret meeting at the Spoon. I needed someone I could talk too and that I didn’t see everyday at school, so Andi was the only person I could turn to.

“I- I’m just... confused is all.” I sighed.

“Why? What happened?”

“I-“ I hesitated, unsure of whether or not I wanted to open up this can of worms. Ultimately I decided that I needed to vent, so I continued. “I met this boy. He’s really sweet and well... to put it plainly, attractive. I really like him Andi, okay? Look, we were texting last night, and he told me that he thought I was funny and wanted to hangout.”

“But?”

“But then today at school, he just- he just ignored me! In the hallways, in class, I don’t think he acknowledged me once.” I could feel the tears beginning to prickle the corner of my eyes. 

“Aww Cy. Don’t be upset, I’m sure there’s an explanation.” Andi comforted me. 

“But-“

“Cyrus, before you draw conclusions, I think you should hear him out. I mean, everyone has a story. Look at me. I thought my mom was my sister for the first thirteen years of my life. All I’m saying is that don’t be so quick to assume. If he’s charming enough to catch your eye, then I definitely wouldn’t worry.” I wanted to believe her, I really did, but I just felt this tiny inkling that she may be wrong. But maybe that was from a life full of disappointment and let-downs.

“And what if you’re wrong?” I sniffled.

“Well then I’ll make sure Buffy speaks with him.” Andi smirked. We both giggled at that.

—

9:38 P.M.

That night I had a lot to think about. It wasn’t easy to just text TJ and ask him for his side of the story. For me, it was simply impossible. I didn’t have that confidence. 

I was just about to place my phone on my nightstand and go to bed, when he texted me... again.

••

Teej | 9:38 PM: What’s up Cy?

••

Oh if he only knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Displayed texts show the contact name that the recipient sees. (i.e. if Jonah texts Cyrus, then it will show “JB” as the sender)


	6. It’s a Dilemma: Pt. 2

I couldn't find it in me to respond to TJ. It would've just lead to... well, a lot of emotions. I couldn't handle that, and for a week and a half, I didn't. I would just go through the school day, add a few witty remarks at lunch, and go home. It truly was the pinnacle of mundane. 

That was until one day in early September, a day where I could no longer be emotionally detached. 

But it came out of left field.

—

September 4th, 2019  
Wednesday  
10:58 A.M.

I was leaving my third period class, on my way to lunch, when Marty came running up to me.

"Cyrus- come with me- now!" Marty said through staggered breaths.

"Wha- why?" I tried to ask, but Marty didn't answer. He just kept pulling me through the hallways by my arm.

And then I was face-to-face with Buffy. She looked- well, pissed. Her arms were crossed, and her stance just screamed, 'try-me-bitch.'

"Listen Cyrus, you've been very distant lately. I would ask why, but there's no time for it. Right now, around the corner, there's a friend who could really use your company." Buffy informed me. I didn't know what to expect really, and that startled me.

"Uh Buffy, you sure-"

"Yes Cyrus, now go to him." she snapped.

I carefully approached the corner of the hallway, where ever so faintly, I could hear muffled sobbing.  
I knew just who it was.

"Jonah!" I exclaimed, grabbing his attention immediately. He was curled up against his locker, holding something in his hands, and tears streaming down his face. I'd seen his expression during a panic attack, and that was bad. But when I saw the look of pure hurt written across his beautifully innocent green eyes, I swear all the air in the room had been sucked out. 

He sniffled some more, wiping the tears away and trying to force me what I thought was supposed to be a smile. He also tried shoving whatever he had in his hands into his pocket as quickly as possible.

"Jonah." I spoke softly. "What happened?"

"N-nothing Cyrus." he stammered. It was safe to say that I wasn't buying it.

"C'mon Jonah, you can tell me. You can tell me anything." I consoled him. He looked like he was considering what I had said. He then looked back at me with those sad eyes again.

"Okay..." his voice quivered. "but not here." he said, standing up and grabbing my arm. He pulled me down the hallway and into an empty classroom, shutting the door behind me.

"So, Jonah?" I said expectantly. 

"I- I don't know if I can do this Cy." his tone was unsure. 

"You don't have to do anything, but I really want to help you. And I can't do that if I don't know what's wrong." I explained. Jonah did some more considering before he hesitantly took whatever he had out of his pocket.

"Look." he sounded like he was on the verge of tears. I carefully approached the desk, on which he had place two pieces of paper. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a picture. It was a picture of us to be exact, a picture of us from the night of the Space Otters party. But the photo was torn in half, the tear being directly between us. 

And when I say that I was naive, I mean it. I literally said the stupidest thing imaginable to those sad eyes.

"It's just a picture of us, Jonah." at that moment I was just genuinely confused if anything, no ill intentions whatsoever. But that's not what Jonah perceived.

"Yeah, a picture that meant a lot to me, but not to you I guess." Jonah spat bitterly, a lone tear rolling down his cheek.

"Jonah... that- that's not what I meant." 

"Yeah? Well it sure doesn't seem that way." he retorted, more tears falling down his face.

"Jonah I- I don't understand." I really didn't, until he spelled it out for me. Jonah closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

"How- how can you go around t-telling your friends that- that they can sh-share anything w-with you, yet y-you yourself cannot tell us when something's w-wrong?" Jonah was now full-blown crying, tears falling violently.

"Jonah- I- I am so sorry." I felt tears prickling my eyes as well.

"Cyrus it hurts. I-it really just h-hurts. And then y-you go and t-tell m-me..." Jonah broke down crying, unable to finish his sentence. The only thing running through my mind was how royally I had fucked this up. 

"Jonah." I approached him, pulling him into a tight hug. He just cried into my shoulder while I rubbed circles into his back.

It was like that for fifteen minutes, him crying into my shirt while I stood silent.

After Jonah had somewhat composed himself, I figured that it would be best to give him an explanation. 

"So, like I said, I'm sorry. I really am. I'm sorry for being so distant, and more importantly, making you think that I don't value that picture. There's really no excuse for anything that I did, but I'm willing to change. Starting now." I took a deep breath. "Last week, TJ ignored me."

"I swear to-"

"No! Jonah, just listen to me. It was right after the night we talked on the phone, so I had my hopes up if anything. It's my fault, and I've been dealing with it since." I explained. 

"Cyrus. It's not-"

"Yeah it is. I was kidding myself if I thought that he could like me back." part of me couldn't even buy what I had just said. "And about the picture, what I said, it came out wrong. I really value our friendship Jonah. I don't think you understand dude, my life has changed ever since that day we met in middle school." and with the confused look on his face, it was clear that Jonah didn't comprehend his true impact on my life.

"Changed? How so?" I could see Jonah's lips begging to crack a genuine smile.

If I was to tell him, I figured that this would be the best time.

“Well... you helped me realize something. Something very important to me if we’re being honest.” I was hesitating, hoping he’d understand without me having to spell it out thoroughly for him. But he wasn’t getting it, so I continued. “Look Jonah, I used to be obsessed with you.”

“Obsessed? I knew you were a Space Otters Superfan, but-“

“No Jonah. In love.” I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting the worst. And then I felt a pair of lips on mine. My eyes shot open, and I shoved Jonah away in shock.

“Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’m gay.” Jonah sounded like he wanted to cry again.

“So you kissed me to find out?” I spat incredulously. 

“I-I’m sorry, I- I was just so blown away by what you said, and how you said that I was your gay awakening. I just had to see if it was mutual.” Jonah began panicking.

“I’m sorry Jonah, but that’s not how you find out.” I was still pretty shaken. I mean, my middle school crush had just kissed me, and my first instinct was to push him away. That just proved to me that I still had it bad for TJ. 

I had to talk to him, hear his side of the story like Andi suggested. 

“Cyrus... I’m sorry.” Jonah said shamefully.

“It’s okay, and I’m still glad I told you. It really is a massive weight off my chest.” I said truthfully. “And don’t worry bro, I’m not mad at all.” I pulled him into another hug. 

“I may not like you like... that. But Cyrus, you’ve done so much for me and I can’t thank you enough man.” Jonah said into my shoulder.

“You don’t have to thank me Jonah. Look I really gotta find someone right now. Y’know, the whole no longer being a hypocrite thing.” Jonah nodded his understanding. “I’ll come over after school if you want.” Jonah nodded again, this time in agreement.

We broke from the hug, and I turned to the door. My heart stopped when I saw another familiar pair of green eyes looking in on us from behind the glass. But they too were also clouded in hurt. And then they were gone.

I knew I had a long day ahead of me.


	7. Chapter 7

Yeah... so you're probably wondering what happened to the picture. I almost didn't ask, but don't worry, in the end I saved myself. 

—

September 4th, 2019  
Wednesday  
11:31 A.M.

I was about to storm out of the classroom and chase after... him, but my intuition told me something was off. So I turned around to face Jonah, who was trying to piece the photo back together, but to no avail. 

"Hey Jonah?" I interrupted his efforts. He glanced up at me, acknowledging me with a slight nod. "How did it... rip?" I questioned.

"I... I don't know." Jonah sighed, becoming more and more frustrated with the torn photo. "This morning it was on my locker, intact like the rest of my pictures, but then when I went to put my books back, it was on the floor, torn." his focus was now on me.

"So someone did it..." I nervously continued. After all, I thought that if Jonah was targeted merely a week after he figured himself out, it could be potentially disastrous for his self esteem. Yet to my knowledge at that point, I was the only one who knew, so an 'attack' was highly unlikely. That still didn't prevent me from fearing the worst.

" I don't know Cy... I just really liked this picture, and now it's ruined." Jonah said, slamming the two halves on the desk.

"Look, we'll avenge the photo, but right now I uh... I got to um... go..." I said, awkwardly pointing at the door.

"Go get 'em." Jonah whispered, throwing me a quick smile and a thumbs up. Somehow, he just knew. And yeah, Jonah kissed me. And yeah, two years ago I would've gone berserk. But I got over him... somehow. I just never thought that it would be me to slightly freak out if another guy kissed me out of nowhere. 

So long for that fantasy...  
—

11:38 A.M.

I made it down to the end hallway, with TJ nowhere to be seen. Then I heard a light sniffle coming from the empty classroom to my left. And there was the second pair of sad green eyes.

"TJ?" I coughed out nervously. His head shot up from the desk, taking a second to register my presence. He quickly wiped his eyes and took in one last breath.

"What?" he said with a shaky voice. A voice that compressed my insides, squeezing my lungs so tight that I felt like I couldn't breathe. 

Up until that point I was unaware that he could even possess these emotions. So far, the only two expressions I've seen him wear were stern and jovial. So like with Jonah, I was in uncharted territory. 

"I uh... wanted to check up on you." Looking back, that sounded terrible, borderline stalker-ish.

"Stop following me..." TJ began to sob again. 

"I'm not I swear! I j-just heard crying and I was w-worried." I reasoned nervously. Tension-filled silence followed after that, both of us unsure if what to say next.

"I'm not gay." TJ broke the silence, putting his head in his hands. He looked like he just wanted to disappear, and me, of all people, making him feel that way absolutely killed my mood. "So you and your stupid boyfriend smile, don't get any ideas." he continued.

"What?" I was in utter shock. He definitely saw me and Jonah, and he definitely thought that we were dating. In reality, that couldn't have been further from the truth.

"Just... get the fuck away from me! TJ spat, slamming his fists down on the desk. That caused me to jump, his sudden shift in demeanor making me unconsciously take a step back. 

"I- I just want to he-help y-you." I trembled.

"I don't need your fucking help!" TJ shot up from the desk and gave me a deathly glare. "So leave. Me. The. Fuck. Alone." he yelled. 

I mistakenly made the decision to try and approach him and comfort him, but he then forcefully shoved me against the desks, creating a loud rumbling sound as the legs of the desks and chairs scraped the floor.

Before I could regain my balance, the classroom door swung open.

"Don't you ever lay a fucking finger on him again!" a new voice was now amongst us. I soon realized that Buffy had charged into the room and pinned TJ up against the chalkboard. 

Next thing I knew, I was being ushered out of the classroom by Marty, while Buffy proceeded to verbally berate TJ as we left. 

—

3:04 P.M.

I was seated upon the brick wall in front of our school, Marty, Buffy, and Jonah beside me. I was shaking, still unable to believe what had happened at lunch.

To say I was scared of TJ was an understatement. He flat out terrified me. But worst of all, I still felt this ungodly attraction to him. Granted his actions were unacceptable, but deep down, I knew that I still wouldn't be able to get his face out of my mind.

"I gotta go, my mom's here." Jonah said, standing up from where he was perched on the ledge. He then gave Buffy and Marty a hug and a handshake respectively, but when I felt his presence in front of me, I didn't flinch. I was too deep in thought. "Cyrus, after what happened today, he has it coming for him." Jonah stated, and Buffy nodded in agreement.

"No!" I shouted, most likely alerting all the other dismissed students in the vicinity. 

"Cyrus-" Buffy tried.

"No! Please just... no. Don't do anything to him." Call me stubborn, but later down the line, I realized where his sudden aggression came from. As a matter of fact, I knew exactly where he was coming from. Back in middle school a similar situation played out between Jonah and Andi. It took everything within me to suppress my rage and jealousy, and evidently, TJ didn't have that sort of self control. 

Ultimately, that realization just resulted me in feeling guilty. If I knew any better, I wouldn't have let Jonah come onto me at all. But as the saying goes; hindsight is always 20/20. 

"You know that he was most likely about to beat you up right?" Marty added.

"Stop! Just please stop. Don't make me have to plead." I said, standing up and slinging my satchel bag over my shoulder. "I'm just gonna walk home now." I said dryly. 

"I can-"

"No Buffy. Not now." and I turned around to begin the walk home.

—

5:37 P.M. 

After two hours of listening to sad piano music- unironically- and staring at my ceiling from atop my bed, I figured that it was most likely very unhealthy to just stew in my own sadness.

I glanced at my desk in the corner of my room and felt a lightbulb go off in my head. I got up immediately and texted Jonah, as I grabbed a certain item from on top of my desk. Before I could ask permission from Sharon or my dad, I had slipped on my jacket and was out the door. 

I don't sprint often, but when I do... Well, when I do, I'm a wheezing mess. Oh well, the crisp autumn air was definitely refreshing after being cooped up in my room for a couple of hours.

Once the Spoon was in sight, my pace began to slow, as I tried my hardest not to appear as a sweaty mess. I pushed through the front door and- surprisingly- Jonah was already seated at a booth. He proceeded to wave me over to him, also trying to grab the attention of a waitress.

I sat down, immediately pulling the item out of my jacket pocket.

"You fixed it!" Jonah exclaimed.

"Well no, I had a copy of the picture as well." I explained.

"Then I can't take this, it's yours." Jonah handed the framed photo back to me.

"Jonah. It's fine. The memory is what counts, and trust me, I wouldn't forget it for a second. That day I became part of a sports team, for the first and only time ever!" It's true, I hadn't been involved with any sort of athletic activity in my life. Super-fanning for the Space Otters was pretty much the closest I'd gotten to it. That and watching Buffy play basketball- TJ too- but we'll get to that later. Spoilers...

"I can seriously keep this?" presumably, Jonah was astonished by my generosity- if you even can call it that. It's not like the picture meant nothing to me, but it reminded me of a time of uncertainty in my life. A time where the facade I put on became my reality. That and well, I was the one who printed the photos in the first place, meaning that it was saved, digitally, somewhere on my laptop.

"Yes Jonah. It's yours dude." I chuckled. 

"Sweet! You're literally the best, Cy-Guy!" Jonah exclaimed, coming around the booth to give me a hug.

"No problemo man, I love you, so this is the least I could do. Wait- I- I meant love in l-like a.., brotherly way..." I quickly rebounded. Looking back, I probably was overthinking, yet I said what I said the same day we shared our brief first kiss. The last thing I wanted to do was send him mixed signals. 

"So you're not mad at me?" Jonah's eyes grew wide and hopeful.

"I was never mad at you dude." I reasoned.

"But-" 

"Let's just please not go into it right now. Where's the waitress? I'm starving." I interrupted Jonah, trying my hardest to redirect the conversation.

Looking back once again, I shouldn't have dodged Jonah's concern for me.

But like I said; Hindsight is always 20/20.


	8. Trauma

Do you know that feeling of uncertainty? The one that leaves you anxious and dreadful. The one where you begin to over analyze past encounters. 

I mean how could someone be so confusing? Why do I have to try and wrap my mind around the reasoning for their actions? I still sometimes find myself trying to decipher the enigma of TJ Kippen.

But more on that later...

—

September 6th, 2019  
Friday  
3:45 P.M.

Well I hadn't seen TJ in school since Wednesday, and I was beginning to think he had moved... again. To be fair though, I wasn't really searching left and right for him, but I would mentally prepare myself whenever I'd approach the places I'd see him between class. Yet he was never there. He also wasn't in any of our classes. 

I would try my hardest to appear as unfazed as possible by his absence, but deep down my heart would yearn for his presence. Something that was unexplainable and that I had absolutely no control over. 

Over the two day span of time that I lacked all contact with TJ, I had grown to suppress my desire for the blonde boy with that heartwarming tight-lipped smile. I began telling myself that he wasn't that person anymore. I kept trying to believe in something that I knew I wasn't buying. I was just fooling myself.

But to add to the distractions, I would busy myself. For example, every Friday after school, Jonah would have a 30 minute guitar lesson with Bowie at the Red Rooster. So as the good friend I was, I would go along with Jonah and wait for him to finish up. It just so happened that this specific Friday, someone decided to emerge from the dark depths and make an unexpected appearance.

I was sitting in one of the couches, casually paging through some music magazine, when I heard the door creak open. Since it was pretty routine for me to tag along with Jonah for his guitar lessons, Bowie has instructed me to notify the customers that he was giving a lesson and would be available after 4:00 P.M. With that being said, I was ready to recite my usual line when I noticed who wandered into the store. 

“Cyrus?” 

“TJ?” I placed the magazine down on the coffee table, ready to defend myself... presumably poorly.

“Look I-I wanted to ap-apologize.” TJ stuttered, fists clenched at his side. There was an awkwardly long silence where we just stared at each other. Both of us cemented in place, refusing to move a muscle.

“So...? Apologize.” I said, breaking the silence.

“Okay- um.” TJ muttered, sitting down in the armchair that was across from me. “So what I said... and did the other day. That was unacceptable. I-I don’t know what came over me... I just- I don’t know. I’m really sorry okay? I didn’t mean any of it.” TJ looked scared almost. His deep green eyes were glossy, and his face was completely pale. 

“And why should I believe you?” I scoffed. Little known fact, I am terrible at asserting any sort of dominance, especially in a situation like this. It was an absolute miracle that I managed to get that one out.

“Be-because I-I really like you. I can’t explain why but I just feel this attraction towards you. It’s pretty unhealthy.” and with that TJ let out a stifled laugh. Ultimately I knew I was going to forgive him, I mean how could I not? So I decided to have some fun.

“Do you find this funny or something? You hurt me TJ... you really hurt me.” I continued, playing this whole thing out to its full capacity.

“No- no no no! I’m laughing at myself... for getting so attached to who is pretty much a stranger.” TJ backtracked completely.

“Then why’d you do it?”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re so attracted to me then why did you push me and say all those hurtful things?” Truthfully I really did want to know. 

“Well...” TJ hesitated, looking as if he was trying to figure out what to say next. “I’m scared. When I saw you and Jonah in that classroom, I was afraid of losing you-“

“I-“ I tried to interject.

“But more importantly, I’m afraid of what all this means for me. I can’t be gay, right?” TJ was almost pleading with himself. I immediately got flashbacks to Jonah in the bathroom at school, giving me the same spiel.

“What’s wrong with being gay?” I squeaked, no longer finding enjoyment in watching TJ getting so worked up.

“I don’t have an issue with it, it’s other people. They aren’t as understanding I guess.” TJ’s voice had grown silent. 

“But who cares what they think?” I added. That’s the attitude I had when coming to terms with my identity, yet I was also surrounded by caring and understanding people. TJ, not so much.

“I have to. I wanna be a star athlete, and my reputation is all I have. You don’t understand Cyrus, I can’t be gay.” TJ was now staring eye to eye with me, a serious expression on his face.

“Nobody’s saying you have to be anything. Right now it’s most important for you to be TJ.” I consoled him. I stood up and went over to him, crouching down to his level. “Just be yourself TJ. That’s all anyone can expect from you.” 

I stood up once again and turned around to let him process what I had just said. I made my way to the store’s counter and picked up another magazine and began flipping through it.

“Cyrus?” TJ called out, his voice breaking. I turned to face him. “I’m really sorry about the other day, like really really sorry. I never meant to-“

“Teej, stop. You sound like a broken record.” I interrupted.

“-and you don’t have to accept my apology, it’s just-“

“I get you’re really sorry and I forgive you okay? Now stop beating yourself up about it.” I snapped, becoming mildly infuriated by his utterly sappy behavior.

“Okay.” TJ said quietly as he stood up and approached me. He had outstretched his arms for what I assume was a hug, but then the door behind him swung open. Jonah had emerged with his guitar case in one hand, the other shaking Bowie’s hand. Jonah then faced TJ who was approaching me, arms open. Jonah’s eyes widened and he grasped his guitar case with both hands.

“Get away from him!” Jonah yelled, before swinging his case and striking TJ in the back of the head with a loud ‘thud.’

TJ’s body fell immediately as I lunged to catch him in my arms. He was out cold.

“Jesus Christ Jonah, what the hell was that?” Bowie exclaimed, running past him and helping me tend to TJ.

“I-I thought he was trying to hurt Cyrus.” Jonah was now red in the face, sweat beginning to bead along his forehead, as the realization of what he had just did came over him.

“We literally just made up! He was going to hug me.” I snapped, unable to control my rage.

Jonah stood there in shock as Bowie went behind the counter and into a mini-fridge to retrieve some ice. I was slowly rubbing the back of TJ’s head as he laid in my lap.

“I can’t believe you just did that Jonah! We may have to call 911.” Bowie was clearly beginning to panic as well.

“He’s still breathing, hopefully he’ll come to soon.” I never received official training, but with having four parents specializing in the medical field, I knew a thing or two.

“Cy, I’m so sorry. I was just trying to protect you.” Jonah was apologizing fervently. 

“I get that, but hitting him in the head?” I sneered.

“Well if he really was trying to hurt you, I would’ve saved you.” Jonah explained.

“But he wasn’t!” I deadpanned.

“Cyrus we should probably call some-“

“Bowie wait! I think he’s coming to.” I stated as I saw TJ’s eyelids begin to flutter. “Teej can you hear me?” I asked in the most soothing voice I could muster up.

“Wha-what happened?” TJ coughed out.


	9. Sorry For the Inconvenience (Intermission 1)

Props to Jonah for somehow managing to knock someone out with his guitar. That thing is more handy than I first thought. Well... back to the drama.

—

September 6th, 2019  
Friday   
3:57 P.M.

“Here kid, put this on your head.” Bowie said, handing TJ an ice pack, “What’s your parents phone number? You are not walking out of here without them knowing.”

“Ahhh one sec.” TJ groaned, holding the ice pack to the back of his head. He then got up and positioned himself on the couch. “What the hell happened?” TJ sighed, dazed and presumably in pain.

“Before you get mad- I may have...”

“Jonah hit you with his guitar case.” I deadpanned.

“Cy-!”

“Why the fuck-?”

“Ah! Watch it buddy.” Bowie cut TJ off before he continued.

“Sorry... who the fuck do you think you are?” TJ spat, standing up from the couch and digging a finger into Jonah’s chest.

“Chill bro- I thought you were going to hurt-“

“Alright what’s your parents phone number dude? You seem well enough to go home.” Bowie said, coming between Jonah and TJ.

“He hit me with a god damn guitar case!” TJ exclaimed, face turning red.

“And he clearly didn’t mean to, can we leave it at that? Now what’s the number?” Bowie added, trying his hardest to defuse the situation.

“I should press charges!” TJ yelled, causing Jonah to gulp nervously.

“Listen TJ, come take a seat. You just got struck in the head, you don’t wanna make things worse.” I cooed, trying to lead TJ back to the couch.

“TJ. I’m so sorry, I genuinely thought Cyrus was in trouble.” Jonah apologized, extending a hand to shake. TJ swatted his hand away, exhaling loudly.

“Calm down kid, you’re okay right?” Bowie said to TJ, who was now completely red in the face and breathing heavily. He looked like he was ready to kill. I could see it in his eyes.

!I should have my parents sue!” TJ exclaimed, looking directly at Bowie.

“Not my store.” Bowie shrugged, earning a slight giggle from me. TJ’s glare darted to me, causing me to freeze up immediately.

“You know what? You all are fucking nuts!” and with that, TJ turned on a heel and stormed out of the Red Rooster. 

As soon as the door slammed behind him, I wanted to chase after him. I almost did, if it wasn’t for Bowie.

“Don’t do it Cyrus.” Bowie said shaking his head.

“Why not.” I shot back.

“Let him fume. He’ll get over it.” he said, grabbing a stack of old sheet music and putting it behind the counter.

I was about to fire back until I noticed Jonah in the corner biting on his nails. He looked as pale as a ghost, face full of terror.

“I’m too young to have a criminal record.” he shuddered.

“Chill out Jonah... he’s gone.” Bowie said nonchalantly as he continued to tidy up behind the counter.

“How can you be so relaxed? Someone just got assaulted while you were on the clock.” I stated, genuinely questioning Bowie’s sanity at that moment. Jonah seemed to agree with me considering he was nodding violently.

“He’s all talk, probably still in shock. Like I said, he’ll get over it.” I wanted to believe that, I really did, because now it was me who screwed up. Not TJ. And clearly Jonah wasn’t buying it because he still looked absolutely petrified. If it weren’t for the circumstances, it was quite laughable.

“But-“ I tried.

“Besides, it isn’t the first time I’ve seen someone get hit with an instrument. My old band mate Rafe threw a bass drum at a security guard.” Bowie leaned over the counter and looked like he was reminiscing.

“I’m so screwed.” Jonah muttered.

“Ah you’ll be fine Jonah.” Bowie scoffed.

It was at that point that I decided to say ‘screw it’ and go after TJ. 

—

Yeah so Bowie may have a couple screws loose. But hey, you guys made it to the first intermission! Well, here’s how these thing work; comment and tell me what you guys think so far, and also let me give you a quick little story about me and TJ from after this whole thing takes place.

—

Saturday

TJ had texted me earlier asking if I wanted to see a movie. 

Who am I to say no to some ‘TJ time?’

So I agreed and we met outside the movie theater about an hour later. 

“Hey Underdog.” TJ greeted me, pulling me into a tight hug. He smelled like his signature cologne that I had gotten him for Christmas last year. 

“Hey Teej.” I greeted him back with a quick peck on the cheek. I saw him flush red - one of my favorite things to witness - and lean into my touch. 

“You ready?” he finally said, revealing two tickets.

“Always.” I smiled.

Once we got into the theater, we immediately went to the concessions stand and got a large bucket of popcorn to share. We then went to the display on the side, and TJ added butter to only half of the popcorn. I always hated the artificial taste that movie theater popcorn butter had, and for whatever reason, TJ loved it. He said it added to the pleasure of eating movie theater popcorn, or something ridiculous like that. I didn’t get it, but it didn’t matter. We had come to an agreement: I would only allow him to drizzle that golden poison to his side of the bucket. Honestly I only agreed because I couldn’t stand having to put up with his pout.

After getting the popcorn, we headed to our theater and found out seats. TJ made sure to position the bucket so that the ‘buttered side’ was facing him. 

The movie was okay, nothing phenomenal. But I would only go to movies with TJ because it guaranteed me some much needed ‘cuddle-time.’ 

After the movie when we were walking home, we were passing the Red Rooster. So I decided to take a trip down memory lane.

“Hey Teej?” TJ glanced at me as we held hands, making our way down the sidewalk.

“What’s up muffin?” I loved that one, not as much as ‘Underdog,’ but it was definitely a close second.

“You remember when Jonah whacked you with his guitar?” I giggled.

“And knocked me out cold. How could I forget?” his statement full of sarcasm. 

“Yeah.” I chuckled. “You were pretty mad.”

“Rightfully so. I was hit. With a damn guitar.”

“Actually it was the case.” I corrected him, he earning me a light jab to the gut.

“Same damn difference.” he muttered, a light smile breaking his lips.

“And then I found you-“

“Come on Cyrus, you know better. No spoilers, it’s unfair to the readers.”

“How’d you know I’d include this in my story?”

“I didn’t, but I figured you would. I do proof everything for you after all.” TJ smirked at me.

“Oh yeah... right.”

—

Well that was fun! You guys survived the first intermission. I know I don’t do this like at all, but I hope you have enjoyed reading this so far.

Oh and TJ, if you see this... love you so much!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! Don’t forget to comment! Tumblr: @itzjkrawlings
> 
> Kudos always appreciated


End file.
